TOWARDS FREEDOM FROM FEAR : AN AGENDA FOR HUMAN SECURITY

This article provides a conceptual analysis of the "freedom from fear" approach to human security. It traces the origins of this concept, which emerged in the post-Cold War era as a way to re-center the security discourse on the protection of individuals from violence. The study distinguishes the "freedom from fear" agenda, which focuses on protecting people from violent conflicts, from the broader "freedom from want" agenda, which encompasses threats from hunger, disease, and poverty. The research outlines the key policy components of a "freedom from fear" strategy. These include strengthening the international capacity for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding; controlling the proliferation of small arms; banning landmines; and establishing mechanisms of international justice, like the International Criminal Court, to hold perpetrators of mass atrocities accountable. The paper argues that securing individuals from violence is a prerequisite for all other forms of development. The analysis concludes that the "freedom from fear" agenda provides a powerful and focused framework for guiding international action to protect the most vulnerable people in the world.

The concept of "human security," which gained prominence in the 1990s, has two major intellectual strands. This paper provides a detailed articulation of the first and more focused of these: the "freedom from fear" agenda. The analysis begins by contrasting this approach with the more expansive "freedom from want" concept, arguing that while both are important, a focus on protecting individuals from violence provides a clearer and more actionable policy agenda. The core of the article is an outline of the key pillars of this agenda. The first pillar is protection. This involves strengthening the international community's capacity to protect civilians in armed conflicts, including through more robust peacekeeping mandates and the operationalization of the "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) principle. The second pillar is prevention. This section discusses the importance of early warning systems, preventive diplomacy, and addressing the root causes of armed conflict. The third pillar is accountability. The paper makes a strong case for ending the culture of impunity for mass atrocities, highlighting the crucial role of international justice mechanisms like the International Criminal Court (ICC). The findings suggest that these different elements are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. The paper concludes that the "freedom from fear" agenda offers a paradigm shift in security thinking—away from a sole focus on the security of states and towards a primary concern for the security of people—and provides a moral and strategic compass for international action in the 21st century.